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January 25, 2010: COR

Warning: I bored myself writing this update. Sorry. Sometimes it is just like that.

There are nine new items listed on pc-biz today. In order to see them:

  1. Go to www.pc-biz.org
  2. Click on the Explorer tab
  3. Make sure the "Event" scrollbar reads "219th General Assembly"
  4. Leave the "keywords" section blank
  5. Click on "search"
  6. Scroll down.

Newly posted today are overtures dealing with ordination standards, the definition of marriage, commissioned lay pastors, and the war in Afghanistan. Enjoy.

Acronym of the Day: COR

The General Assembly is filled with acronyms. There is a page dedicated to all the different shorthand references on the denomination's site. I am going to (try to) go the acronyms most often heard/used at General Assembly in alphabetical order.

Today's acronym of the day is: the Committee on Representation (COR) or (GACOR). COR's "function is to guide governing bodies toward implementing principles of participation and inclusiveness to ensure effective participation in decision making in the church;" and the GACOR does that at the General Assembly level.

If you have been involved at the presbytery level, you are probably aware of the requirement to have a COR. Without having done ANY research on this topic; it is my impression that it is one of the more difficult committee assignments for presbytery nominating committees to fill. The same is not true at the GACOR level.

There is no specific item of business that GACOR is sponsoring (at least, none that has shown up thus far). GACOR does have a presence at the General Assembly, most notably as it advises the General Assembly Nominating Committee. As noted in the report to the 218th General Assembly in the recommendation here, "The General Assembly Committee on Representation has several opportunities to review the list of vacancies on the General Assembly entities and the proposed names of persons to fill vacancies. The committee offers its advice and counsel regarding inclusiveness and representational issues. The General Assembly Committee on Representation’s advice and counsel is always reviewed as the General Assembly Nominating Committee considers its nominations." The concern for diverse representation shows up in the Assembly business if there are contested elections; that is, where a nominee on the Nominating Committee's slate is challenged. The challenger must be from the same synod as the Nominating Committee's nominee and match the demographic characteristics.

No point in belaboring it. That's what GACOR is and does.

 

 

 

 

 

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